PORT ALLEN, LA — Eight years after 28-year-old Fatrell Queen was found shot to death in his Burbridge Street home, his mother Tara Snearl led a community memorial Sunday — still with no arrests, and no answers.

The Stop The Violence Memorial Event on November 2 at 2 PM brought together residents, family members, and supporters who have sustained one of Louisiana's longest-running grassroots justice movements for accountability and an end to violence. "Can't Stop, Won't Stop—JUSTICE FOR FATRELL," Snearl emphasized in announcing the event.

The memorial featured a moment of silence and prayer, followed by the planting of a memorial tree symbolizing that Queen's spirit "will live on forever," according to organizers.

In a striking visual tribute, an aerial banner reading "JUSTICE FOR FATRELL" flew over a defined area of Port Allen—from Burbridge Street north to the Mississippi River on the east, Court Street to the south, and Highway 1 to the west—creating an aerial memorial visible across the small West Baton Rouge Parish city of approximately 5,100 residents.

"Can't Stop, Won't Stop"

Snearl, who has organized annual memorials and "Stop the Violence" parades every year since her son's death, has channeled her grief into sustained advocacy. "Although he is no longer with us, I am committed to fighting for justice in his name," Snearl said. "This event is not just about remembering Fatrell; it's about honoring his life with purpose."

The Justice for Fatrell Organization has expanded from seeking accountability in one unsolved murder to becoming a broader anti-violence coalition that addresses mental health awareness, crime prevention, educational opportunities, and voter registration across Port Allen and the greater Baton Rouge area.

Eight Years Without Answers

Fatrell Queen was killed in the early morning hours of November 2, 2017, in what became Port Allen's first homicide in four years. Police responded to 911 calls about gunshots at Queen's home on Burbridge Street around 5 AM, but his body wasn't discovered until hours later—found shot multiple times in his bedroom closet.

The case has been marked by investigative missteps, including shell casings the family discovered eight months later that police had missed at the crime scene. The investigation has cycled through at least four detectives, and no arrests have ever been made despite former Police Chief Esdron Brown's early assurance in 2017: "We'll get them. Trust me."

Legal Battle: Mixed Results

The family's pursuit of justice moved to federal court in 2021 with Snearl et al v. City of Port Allen et al, No. 3:2021cv00455 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana before Judge John W. deGravelles. The lawsuit included explosive allegations claiming Port Allen police officers may have been involved in Queen's death and covered it up—claims District Attorney Tony Clayton called "bizarre."

The case produced mixed outcomes. In June 2022, Judge deGravelles denied the defendants' motion for judgment on the pleadings, allowing the case to proceed against the City of Port Allen and former PAPD Officers Briant Landry and Tiffeny Robertson Wycoskie. The judge wrote that the court could "easily infer" from the documented evidence "that Landry and Wycoskie killed Queen and then suppressed the truth about that murder through acts and silence."

When Port Allen officials tried to strike the murder allegations as "scandalous," Judge deGravelles refused, writing they go "to the very heart of the controversy."

In December 2022, the court ordered Port Allen to turn over bodycam footage and other withheld documents for judicial review—evidence the family had been denied for over five years.

However, Sheriff Mike Cazes and the West Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office were dismissed from the case without prejudice in March 2022. The case was administratively closed in July 2024 following a stay. In April 2025, Magistrate Judge Richard L. Bourgeois Jr. ruled that current Sheriff Jeff Bergeron could continue withholding active investigation files from the family, keeping the details of the ongoing investigation sealed even eight years after Queen's death with no arrests made.

No criminal charges have ever been filed in connection with Queen's murder.

A Movement That Endures

Sunday's memorial marked the eighth consecutive year that Queen's family and the Port Allen community have gathered to honor his memory and demand accountability. The annual events have grown from dozens to over 200 attendees in recent years, evolving from parades featuring floats honoring gun violence victims to memorial tree plantings and aerial tributes.

The Justice for Fatrell movement has also memorialized other victims of unsolved violence in Port Allen, including Larry Profit (killed November 2019). This case remains unsolved under the previous Port Allen Police Department administration.

Queen left behind a young daughter, now over 10 years old, who was just 2.5 years old when her father was killed. He had recently won custody of her and was working as a package handler at a retail warehouse.

"His Spirit Will Live On Forever"

The memorial tree planted Sunday stands as a living symbol of the community's refusal to let Queen's death fade into the statistics of unsolved murders. For Snearl and the Justice for Fatrell Organization, the mission remains unchanged after eight years: accountability, transparency, and an end to violence.

"Let's unite to share his story and keep his memory alive, standing together for justice and love," Snearl told supporters.

As the aerial banner painted the Port Allen sky blue on Sunday afternoon, it served as a reminder that some wounds don't fade with time—they become movements that refuse to be silenced.

The case remains open with the Port Allen Police Department. Anyone with information about Fatrell Queen's murder is urged to contact Port Allen Police at (225) 346-5131 or Crime Stoppers at (225) 344-7867.

The Justice for Fatrell Organization continues to advocate for police accountability and violence prevention throughout West Baton Rouge Parish and the greater Baton Rouge area.

Sources

Court Documents:

• Snearl et al v. City of Port Allen et al, No. 3:2021cv00455, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana
• Court orders and filings from 2021-2025

News Coverage:

• The Advocate (Baton Rouge), 2017-2021
• WAFB (Baton Rouge), 2017-2022
• WBRZ (Baton Rouge), 2018-2025
• The West Side Journal, 2018-2021
• BRProud, 2020
• Louisiana Record, 2021
• Legal Newsline, 2022